New Favorites of 2025

This year has been a pretty nice one for battlebox in general. We've had some pretty readable new designs like Refute and decision-rich mechanics like Plot (Cunning Coyote). I have also enjoyed the return to classics like Investigate (Loxodon Eavesdropper) and Threshold (Dreadwing Scavenger). While the word count of magic cards continues to rise, we keep getting novel and fun designs scattered between the walls of text.

Here are my favorite new cards from 2025:

- Nurturing Pixie - For a one-drop, this remains relevant throughout the game. Picking up something that provides value just makes you feel so smart.
- Deduce - An instant-speed divination in two installments. Go ahead and get on the case!
- Accursed Marauder is a new toy that arrived with a retro border treatment. While edicts can be situational, this often hits the mark.
- Red Herring Is a card that I cut earlier this year, but I missed it so much that it returned. Valley Dasher lives on spiritually in One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Clue Fish.
- Aloe Alchemist - Plot has been my favorite new mechanic of 2025. I see my players both casting and plotting these cards; sometimes you need the stats, and sometimes you need a plan. The Cactus Warlock's buff followed up by a 3/2 next turn applies consistent pressure.
- Dreadwing Scavenger - Smuggler's Copter is quite powerful, but repeatable looting is so valuable in an environment where mulligans are illegal.

Old Favorites of 2025

The texture of my battlebox has changed drastically over this year. Ever since I added Phyrexian Rager, I have turned up the dial on two-for-one effects present. A lot of classics like Gravedigger and Thraben Inspector give you more decisions for spending your mana while activating the good brain chemicals. These value cards have improved the variety in gameplay greatly. Sometimes, your opponent applies constant beatdown, and eventually you put a stop to the pressure. Two-for-ones are a great way to turn the corner on these types of games. Other times, you play guildgates turns 1-3 and settle in for an grindfest.

Additionally, I've been adding more bangers. I've found that it's fun to win with and lose against powerful and flashy old cards. Drawing a banger feels like cracking a chase rare from a pack. Did I mention that I added Booster Tutor? A lot of my favorite additions this year have been all-time favorites that create fun moments:

- Terminus - I've joked about needing to draw Terminus to save me from a board state so often. What if it was actually an out... ?
- Snapcaster Mage - I have died to Bolt, Snap, Bolt. Could I ask for anything more?
- Booster Tutor - This is my favorite addition from this year. It has given me an excuse to hoard prize packs from weekly events and creates truly unique moments and decisions. In the last few months, I have lost to a Fallen Empires and a Homelands Pack. I'll get over it eventually lol.
- Flametongue Kavu - Is there truly a greater feeling than slamming a big idiot, pointing at your opponent's big idiot, and watching it disappear in a burst of flame.
- Skinshifter is just so flavorful and cool. It can apply pressure or play defense on almost any board state, provided that your opponent lets it live.
- Ghor-Clan Rampager - Player 1: "Bloodrush Ghor-Clan Rampager" Player 2: "Guh"
- Snare Thopter - Hardcast Arclight Phoenix is a surprisingly great threat for limited games.

The Latest Round of 2025 Additions

"If you see its teeth, it's too late"

• Sun-Blessed Healer - Cook up a value stew from your graveyard. Usually I'm not a fan of lifelink because I don't want games to drag out, but this guy shouldn't stick around very long.
• Canyon Crab - 0/5 is a pretty funny statline, and crabs are funny animals. I have enough instant speed effects in the box to easily trigger the loot.
• Refute - The 3MV Counterspell slot is pretty flexible. This one is a hard counter that turns your rootwalla into a Mystic Snake. I've also tried Complicate and Twist Reality recently. Getting someone with a Force Spike and drawing a card is always fun. Twist Reality is probably my favorite gameplay-wise because it can affect the board, but I don't like looking at face-down cards when my box is so pretty.
• Clockwork Percussionist is a limited and pauper all-star. I even have the art with the spooky shadow in the background.
• Irreverent Gremlin - This is definitely the strongest of the 2-drop red rummagers that I've playtested. I'm always a fan of proactive cards that sculpt the hand.
• Monstrous Emergence - Reveal Colossal Dreadmaw, deal 6.
• Stickytongue Sentinel - This frog flew under the radar in my Bloomburrow testing. Inching out ETB value is a way of life.

More Bangers

"Gonna tell my kids this was Splinter Twin"

• Waterfront Bouncer - I've had the pleasure of drafting Mystery Booster 2 a few times, and the spellshapers that cast iconic spells have captivated me. This one has a world championship deck pedigree and is the source of the term "Bounce"
• Asylum Visitor - There are only so many playable madness cards. I have seen the triggered ability work a few times, but this is mostly a 3/1 madness.
• Ichor Slick - This design is just a joy.
• Gurmag Angler - I have swapped the Juzam Djinn slot from Phyrexian Scuta to the big fish. Scuta just wasn't cool or iconic enough. A potential 1-mana 5/5 is very potent, and it makes the caster feel very smart. I saw a Savannah Lions junked in combat just to fill the bin for the fish.
• Kird Ape - I found a sweet beat-up Arabian Nights Kird Ape that has been a 2/3 longer than I have been alive.
• Wild Mongrel - At Eternal Weekend, I found a foil Wild Mongrel and Arrogant Wurm in a single vendor's display case. The mongrel even discarded a Basking Rootwalla when it was first played. Do you believe in fate?
• Arrogant Wurm - The other day, this was cast off a discard from a Refute as one of the chunkiest Mystic Snakes ever.
• Kolaghan's Command - I'm getting around to replacing some of the lame utility cards in my box with more versatile and beloved gold cards. K-Command is just way cooler than Goblin Cratermaker.
• Qasali Pridemage - Likewise, this is a classic that is more fun than Voracious Varmint
• Vhati il-Dal - Best friends with Prodigal Sorcerer, and a kill-on-sight threat if you want to profitably participate in the combat step. By the way, this Summon Legend is actually a Legendary Creature - Human Warrior, for Kargan Intimidator reasons.

The Secret Banger

I found a gorgeous foil chromat at Regional Championship DC this year, and my friend took it to get signed by Donato Giancola. It's basically the coolest creature ever. This one will only show up in the maybeboard because its play patterns might be too weird for someone browsing my cubecobra list. I'll let it break the Colossal Dreadmaw rule in my environment until I get sick of losing to it. However, I won't get tired of looking at it.

Honorable Mentions

"Enter and choose your favorite lands."

These guildgate reprints round out my land choices aesthetically and thematically. One player gets beta basics and old-border allied guildgates, and the other player gets foil modern-border basics and enemy guildgates. Old vs New. Allied vs Enemy. Foil vs Nonfoil. Choose your side!

Dishonorable Mentions

Keldon Strike Team is not a card from 2025, but it is a card that I have given a third chance this year. Making 3 rectangles from one card is a lot of immediate board impact. Granting haste to other creatures can create a surprise attack out of nowhere. With all of the recursive value creatures that I've added this year like Nurturing Pixie and Stickytongue Sentinel, recurring the kicker for more 1/1s can really clog the board state. This card currently just does too much in this battlebox. Is the strike team really that egregious of a power outlier when I play Snapcaster Mage and Flametongue Kavu? Not really, but Keldon Strike Team is sitting on the bench for now. Three strikes, and you're out!